Chapter 8

And all the people gathered¹¹ themselves together as one man into the street that [was] before the water gate; and they spake⁴ unto Ezra the scribe⁶ to bring⁵³ the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded¹⁴ to Israel.

And Ezra the priest brought⁵⁵ the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear² with understanding,⁵⁶ upon the first day of the seventh month.

And he read⁴ therein before the street that [was] before the water gate from the morning until midday, ³¹¹⁷ before the men and the women, and those that could understand;⁵⁶ and the ears of all the people [were attentive] unto the book of the law.

And Ezra the scribe⁶ stood⁴ upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made¹ for the purpose; and beside him stood⁴ Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, [and] Meshullam.

And Ezra opened⁴ the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened² it, all the people stood up:¹

And Ezra blessed¹⁷ the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered,⁴ Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads,⁴ and worshipped¹⁰¹ the LORD with [their] faces to the ground.

Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand⁵⁶ the law: and the people [stood] in their place.

So they read⁴ in the book in the law of God distinctly,³⁰ and gave² the sense, and caused [them] to understand⁴ the reading.

And Nehemiah, which [is] the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe,⁶ and the Levites that taught⁵⁶ the people, said⁴ unto all the people, This day [is] holy unto the LORD your God; mourn¹⁰¹ not, nor weep.⁴ For all the people wept,⁶ when they heard² the words of the law.

Then he said⁴ unto them, Go your way,³ eat³ the fat, and drink³ the sweet, and send³ portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared:¹² for [this] day [is] holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry;¹¹ for the joy of the LORD is your strength.

So the Levites stilled⁵⁶ all the people, saying,² Hold your peace,¹⁶ for the day [is] holy; neither be ye grieved.¹¹

And all the people went⁴ their way to eat,² and to drink,² and to send¹⁵ portions, and to make² great mirth, because they had understood⁵² the words that were declared⁵² unto them.

And on the second day were gathered⁸ together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe,⁶ even to understand⁵³ the words of the law.

And they found⁴ written⁷ in the law which the LORD had commanded¹⁴ by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell⁴ in booths in the feast of the seventh month:

And that they should publish⁵⁵ and proclaim^{55 6963} in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying,² Go forth³ unto the mount, and fetch⁵⁴ olive branches, and pine branches, ⁵⁹²⁹ and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make² booths, as [it is] written.⁷

So the people went forth,⁴ and brought⁵⁵ [them], and made⁴ themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.

And all the congregation of them that were come again⁶ out of the captivity made⁴ booths, and sat⁴ under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done¹ so. And there was very great gladness.

Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read⁴ in the book of the law of God. And they kept⁴ the feast seven days; and on the eighth day [was] a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.